UBC’s Postdoctoral Fellows Office (PDFO) in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) is recommending changes to the way postdoctoral fellows are compensated.
UBC’s postdoctoral fellows are faced with numerous challenges stemming from the combination of modest stipends and a high cost of living in the region, as well as steep housing expenses. As a result of an extensive consultation process with postdoctoral fellows and faculty members, the PDFO is now recommending improvements to how postdoctoral fellows are compensated with the implementation of a minimum stipend.
The PDFO, in collaboration with the Postdoctoral Association (PDA), released a report in June 2024 highlighting findings from a survey that showed financial challenges that postdoctoral fellows face. Between July and October 2024, the PDFO invited postdocs and faculty for consultations and town hall sessions to gather feedback on a key recommendation in this survey report – namely, consideration of a minimum stipend for UBC postdoctoral fellows.
The findings from those sessions are highlighted in the new report, Towards a minimum stipend for postdoctoral fellows. The new report also sets forth considerations for implementing a minimum stipend policy for UBC postdoctoral fellows, along with annual performance-based raises above a set threshold to offset inflation and maintain competitiveness with other U15 universities. Establishing a minimum stipend will improve the well-being and productivity of current postdoctoral fellows and enhance UBC's ability to attract prospective postdocs
“This is essential to ensure that UBC remains a top-tier research institution,” say the report authors.
Michael Hunt, Dean pro tem of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, says the implementation of a minimum stipend is an important step for the university to take to effectively recruit and retain outstanding postdoctoral fellows.
The PDFO and G+PS will work with university leadership to determine the feasibility of implementing a minimum stipend policy for postdoctoral fellows, as well as an appropriate timeline as necessary.
Read the 2022 Postdoctoral Landscape Report